Paper and envelop feeding attachment for type-writers.



. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. S. D. RUTH. PAPER AND ENVBLOP FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 31. 1904.

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jZ Zf Inventor.

Attomzgs No. 807,321. PATENTED DEC. 12, 1905. S. D. RUTH.

PAPER AND BNVELOP FEEDING ATTACHMENT FOR TYPE WRITERS. .Qrmcuron mum MT. 31. 1904.

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Attqmegs UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

SAMUEL D. RUTH, OF BEATRICE, NEBRASKA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 12, 1905.

Application filed October 31, 1904. Serial No. 230,795.

. velop Feeding Attachment for Type-Writers,

. is a plan view of one end of the device, a por-- of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an'attachment for type-writing machines, andhas for its principal object to provide a novel means for quickly feeding envelops, postal cards, or other small slips of paper to the machine in readiness to be printed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be applied to a large number of existing machines in which movable carriages are em-- ployed for the support of a roller-platen.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which may be quickly connected and disconnected in order to permit the use of the machine for ordinary purposes.

lVith these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter appear, the invention consists in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly ointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that varlous changes in the form, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of'a feed attachment for type-writing machines constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional elevation of the same. Fig. 3

tion of the casing being shown in section. Fig. 4 is an elevation looking from the end opposite to that shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a rear elevation of the attachment.

Similar numerals and letters of reference are em loyed to indicate corresponding parts throug out the several figures of the drawm s.

In the drawings there is shown a portion of an ordinary form of type-writing machine, on which is mounted a carriage or, carrying a platen-roller y. The shaft of the platenroller is provided witha gear-wheel 10, and at one end of said shaft is the ordinary milled or knurled knob 2 for turning the roller by hand when paper is being inserted into the machine. The gear-wheel 10 is mounted loosely on the shaft and may be clutched to said shaft by a slidable clutch 12, that is under the control of an operating-lever 13, said lever being pivoted at a point intermediate of its length on a bracket 14, secured to thecarriage, and the outer portion of the lever being locked in adjusted position by a notched standard 15, also secured to the carriage. Secured to the carriage are a numb er of curved brackets 17, of which there are preferably two at each endof the carriage, and these brackets serve as supports for a preferably rectangular casing 18, so arranged that its front and rear walls are at an angle oblique to the vertical and the inner face of the rear wall being in alinement with the periphery of the roller-platen, or, in other words, disposed on a line tangential to said roller. Within this casing are placed the envelops, postal cards, orother articles to be delivered, and said articles 'are pressed toward the rear by means of a compression spring or springs 21, and they are discharged singly from the bottom of the casing through a slot 22. Within the bottom of the casing is placed a plate 24, on which the envelops or other articles rest, and one edge of the plate forms one wall of the slot 22. Near the other end of the plate is a pendent lug 25, to which is swiveled one end of a screw 26, extending through a stationary nut 27 in the casing and provided with a milled head to permit adjustment of the screw and adjustment of the width of the slot in accordance with the thickness of the articles within the casing. The casing is provided with brackets or other supports for the reception of a horizontal shaft 27, to which is secured a pinion 28 and a sprocket-wheel 29, said pinion 28 being constantly in mesh with the teeth of the gear-wheel 10. The casing is further provided with brackets or plates 30 for the reception of a plurality of shafts 31, 32, and 33, that are provided, respectively, with feed-rollers 34, 35, and 36. To one end of the shaft 31 is secured a gearwheel 36 and sprocket-wheel 37, the latter being connected to the sprocket-wheel 29 by means of a link belt 38. To the adjacent end of the shaft 33 is secured a gear-wheel 39, that intermeshes with the gear-wheel 36, so

that the two rollers 31 and 33 will be driven in opposite directions, respectively. At the opposite side of the casing the shaft 32 is provided with a gear-wheel 40, and the shaft 33 is provided with a corresponding gear-wheel 43, these ears intermeshing, so that all of the rollers wil be positively driven. The shaft 31 further carries a sprocket-wheel 44, that is connected by a link belt 45 to a sprocketwheel 46 on the upper end of a horizontal shaft 47. The shaft 47 carries a feed-roller 48, the periphery of which extends through a slot in the rear wall of the casing and engages the envelops or other articles therein. The sprocket-wheel 46 is mounted loosely on the s aft 47 and is provided with a clutch-face 50, with which may engage a mating clutch member 51, that normally is forced out of engagement therewith by a spring 52. To operate the clutch, a cam-lever 54 is employed, said lever being pivoted at one side of the casing and having a cam-shaped arm 55 at its lower end for engaging against one edge of the clutch-sleeve and forcing the latter in the direction of the sprocket-wheel. This lever is locked in place by a notched segment 56, also secured to the side of the casing, and it may be operated in order to clutch the sprocket-wheel to the shaft when the upper feed-roller is necessary. The lower roller 34 also extends within the casing, while the roll ers 35 and 36 are disposed at a point below the slot 22 and receive the articles as they are fed singly therefrom and direct the same into contact with the periphery of the rollerplaten.

In the operation of the device a quantity of envelops or other articles is placed in the casing, and in starting the knurled knob z is turned, movement being imparted to all of the gear-wheels and turning all of the rollers, so that the first of the envelops may be fed out through the slot and then grasped by the rollers 35 and are thence fed against the revolving surface of the roller-platen.

If the device is used for addressing purposes, the movement of the roller-platen necessary for the placing of the name and address on different lines will operate the several feed-rollers, and the second envelop will be drawn down to a position correspondin to the extent of movement of the platen, and in withdrawing the addressed envelop the platen will be operated and the second of the envelops fed to printing position, or if the movement is not quite complete it may be finished by a slight turn of the knob 2.

In order to prevent contact of the envelop or paper with the bottom of the casing when said envelop or paper is discharged from the front of the roller-platen, deflecting-guides are secured to the front of the casing and are extended rearward to a point adjacent to the front of the roller-platen.

The roller 46 is especially useful when the device is intended for the addressing of envelops, postal cards, and the like. When thrown into action, it will commence to feed a second envelop before the first has passed fully out of the casing, so that the feeding will be continuous and uninterrupted.

It is obvious from the construction of the attachment that it may be applied to the carriage of a type-writing machine without interfering with the ordinary functions of the machinethat is to say, with the attachment in position a sheet of paper may be placed in the machine in the ordinary manner for work of any desired character.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a feed attachment for type-writing machines, a casing having an inclined bottom provided with a discharge-slot, a pair of feed-rollers arranged below and adapted to engage articles delivered from the slot, gearing connections between one of said rollers and the roller-platen of the machine, a discharging roller having its periphery extending within the casing at a point immediately above the slot, and gearing connections between the driven feed-roller and the discharging-roller.

2. In a-feed attachment for type-writing machines, a casing having a delivery-slot, a pair of feed-rollers arranged under the slot and adapted to engage articles discharged therethrough, gearing connections between the feed-rollers and the roller-platen of the machine, a pair of discharging rollers arranged in spaced relation at the front of the casing and having their peripheries extending within said casing, and gearing connections between the feed-rollers and the discharging-rollers.

3. In a feed attachment for typewriting machines, of a slotted casing, a pair of feedrolls in alinement with the slot, main and auxiliary rollers having portions of their peripheries extending within the casing, gearing connections between the several rollers, and means for connecting and disconnecting the auxiliary roller and gearing connections.

4. The combination with a casing having an inclined bottom, and provided with a discharge-slot, of afalse bottom arranged for the support of the contents of the casing, and ad justable to alter the width of the slot, said false bottom serving when adjusted to carry with it the contents of the box, feed-rollers arranged under the slot, discharging-rollers having their peripheries extending within the casing, and gearing connections between the several rollers and the roller-platen of the machine.

5. The combination in the carriage, of a roller platen, a shaft carrying said rollerplaten, a gear-wheel mounted loosely on the shaft, means for clutching the gear-wheel to I my own I havehereto affixed my signature the shaft, a slotted casing, feed-rolls for disin the presence of two witnesses. char ing articles there om to a position in aline hient with the ro1ler-p1aten,and gearing SAMUEL RUTH 5 connections between the gear-Wheel and said i Witnesses:

feeding-rolls. J. H. PENNER,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as i C. H. MAYBORN. 

